January 2022 Movies & More

Hello, movie lovers! Here we go for another year of movies and more, most of which have been seen in the comfort of my living room. This month features my personal Sidney Poitier Film Festival, reality shows, several excellent documentaries and a few regular old movies. All are rated on a scale of one to five cans of tuna fish (Bumble Bee only!) and the ones marked with an asterisk are ones I had not seen previously.

1.  Love Hard* (2021, Netflix) – Natalie (Nina Dobrev) has no luck on the dating scene, but she has parlayed her romantic failures into a popular column on a website. So, when she swipes right (or is it left, I have no idea) on Josh, 30 (Jimmy O. Yang), she is surprised to see he seems like the perfect guy for her. They talk on the phone and she impulsively takes off for Lake Placid to spend Christmas with Josh and his family. But Josh isn’t quite the man she thought he was, and through a series of convoluted circumstances inserted to make the movie work, she ends up staying and playing his girlfriend while she pursues the guy she thought was Josh. Lost yet? This movie is light and cute, in contrast to a few more intense movies I watched to close the year. If you don’t see the end coming, you haven’t seen nearly enough rom-coms in your life. 3 cans.
2.  Queer Eye, Season 6* (2021, Netflix) – The new season finds the tribe of gay men out to transform the bad haircuts and no-confidence people of Austin, Texas. Bobby redesigns their homes or workplaces; Tan reworks the wardrobes; Jonathan is in charge of grooming; Antoni is the cooking expert; Karamo handles culture. What seems like a silly show I learned 5 seasons ago is uplifting and hopeful, as this season the Fab 5 help a reticent baker, a cowboy living in a barn, a man still grieving for his deceased wife and a woman who runs a honkytonk but can’t get her house together, among others. This show is much more than a haircut and a coat of paint. It is a new lease on life for people who have stopped paying attention to themselves and their own dreams. 4 cans and a good haircut.
3.  Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It* (2021, Netflix) – Rita Moreno is a bold, outspoken, frank woman whose show business story spans 70 years. Much in the news now because of the release of a new version of her signature work, “West Side Story,” Moreno, who won an Oscar as Anita in the original, has a huge body of work and plenty of stories to tell in this documentary. A native of Puerto Rico, Rita came to the US as a child and seemed destined for show business. She relates stories about misogyny, racism and other battles she had to fight to avoid constantly being stereotyped as the Latina, the Native American or other minorities. She parlayed her talent into being one of the few performers to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony Award. She also tells of her long relationship with actor Marlon Brando, her use of therapy, her marriage to a Jewish doctor who had no idea who she was when they met, and other juicy tidbits. She is feisty and not afraid to speak her truth. 3½  cans.
4.  The Tender Bar* (2021 Netflix) – Ben Affleck plays a philosophical bartender on Long Island (not Boston for once) who is like a father to his 9-year-old nephew JR (the initials don’t stand for anything, as you will hear repeatedly), the only child of a busy mother. They are part of a big, sprawling family which always seems to crash at the grandfather’s dilapidated house (Christopher Lloyd). Affleck’s Uncle Charlie guides the young boy with important rules for men growing up and the kid is an eager learner. Uncle Charlie has books behind the bar and gives out as much wisdom as beers, so the kid is exposed to plenty of literature, leading him to aspirations of becoming a writer. While JR’s largely absent father pops up every now and then, the results are generally a let-down for the child. His real family is in that beat-up house and the regulars at the bar. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to learn at the end that the movie is based on a real story, and that made it even better for me. 4 cans.
5.  Lillies of the Field (1963, Pluto TV streaming) – The recent death of the transcendent actor Sidney Poitier inspired this viewing choice while I stayed with friends. Handyman Homer Smith just happens to stop at a farm in rural Arizona to ask for some water for his car engine. The farm is run by a small group of German nuns, headed by Mother Maria, a taciturn, no-nonsense woman who feels her prayers have been answered with his arrival. The nuns have little money but plenty of dreams; Mother Maria (Lilia Skala) wants to build a chapel. She ropes Homer into staying and helping them not only with the construction of the chapel but also by teaching them to speak English. Poitier won the Oscar for his portrayal of the earnest, firm but cooperative handyman, whose clashes with the Mother have a bit of comic relief. If you have never seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it. 4½ cans. And RIP to a giant of the movies and of life.
6.  Greyhound* (2020, Apple TV+) – After watching the quiet, comforting movie above, seeing this action drama was quite a contrast. Tom Hanks plays US Navy Commander Ernest Krause, assigned to lead an Allied convoy in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic in World War II. His ships are constantly under fire from German U-boats, and most of the movie consists of Hanks barking out orders (if you can politely bark, which he seems to do) to his crew and coordinating with his sister ships as they fight the Battle of the Atlantic. Will he have enough torpedoes? When will the air cover arrive?  Hanks, as always, brings humanity to the role, saying grace before a meal (most of which he never gets a chance to eat) and treating his crew with authority and respect. Look out for that submarine! If you like an action movie without man-made superheroes, this one’s for you. 4 cans.
7.  To Sir, with Love (1967, Hulu) – You’re humming that title song by Lulu right now, aren’t you? Sidney Poitier is Mark Thackeray, a would-be engineer who takes a job teaching teenagers in a tough school in London. They all have attitudes and troubled pasts, and his segue into education isn’t going well until he realizes that he has to teach them life lessons and slowly earn their respect. Poitier brings a calm demeanor and respect to the classroom to earn their trust. 4 cans.
8.  In the Heat of the Night (1967, HBO on Demand) – That calm demeanor helps ace Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs survive when he is arrested in a tiny Mississippi town and accused of murdering another man. There isn’t any evidence against him beyond just being Black and being in the train station, ready to return home after a visit with his mother in a nearby town. Soon, Virgil joins forces with the small-town police chief (Rod Steiger) to solve the crime with his attention to detail and following the evidence. Throughout, he battles the racist population of a town that distrusts and doubts him. This intense drama won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1968 and Steiger was named best actor, but you also could see the award going to the controlled and believable Poitier, who turned in a riveting performance in the less showy role. 4½ cans.
9.  Cheer* (2022, Netflix) – The second season of this "reality" series about college cheerleading is less cheery than season 1. National Championship Navarro College is out to defend its cheerleading title, still led by now-famous Coach Monica Aldama, who gained notoriety in season one and subsequently competed on “Dancing with the Stars.” Their chief rivals, also from Texas, are from Trinity Valley Community College, where Vonte Johnson, a former TVCC cheerleader, is the coach. Both teams have plenty of drama and lose the chance to complete in the 2020 championship in Daytona when Covid cancels the event. But Navarro raises the drama stakes when last season’s breakout star, Jerry Harris, is accused of sexually harassing two young boys and makes a sudden departure from the team. We don’t see these cheerleaders actually cheerleading at sporting events. Instead, we see endless practices, lots of flying through the air and tumbling on the mats, doing things you cannot even imagine are possible. It sure looks like another season is possible for these talented athletes, whose focus is on two days in Daytona and achieving perfection there. 4 cans.
10. 15:17 to Paris* (2018, HBO) – There is only about 15 minutes and 17 seconds of action in this Clint Eastwood dramatization of an incident on a Paris-bound train attacked by a terrorist. Follow me here – the movie dramatizes the event but uses as stars the three Americans whose quick thinking and bravery thwarted the attack. Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlotos and Anthony Sadler had been pals since grade school. Not the best of students but not serious troublemakers, the three find themselves together in the principal’s office far too often. The movie meanders through their lives as kids and then as young men, with Spencer and Alek joining the military and Anthony going to college. None of them can really find themselves in the ideal position. When they reunite for a vacation in Europe, fate puts them on this train, where their military training and heroics come in handy. But that’s the whole movie. It wasn’t terrible and I was certainly impressed by the way the young men handled themselves on that train. 5 cans for the heroism but only 3 cans for the actual movie.
11.  8 Days: To the Moon and Back* (2019, PBS Documentaries) – No one who was alive in 1969 will ever forget the excitement of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. When Neil Armstrong took that “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” the world watched and held its collective breath. This dynamic documentary includes a wealth of behind the scenes footage from both the spacecraft and the control center in Houston, reminding us of all of the things that had to go right for Armstrong and his fellow moon walker Buzz Aldrich to land and reunite with commander Michael Collins as he circled the moon waiting for them to blast off and return to the command module. This was a tremendous feat for everyone to accomplish and it was thrilling to relive it. 4 cans.
12. In-Lawfully Yours* (2016, Prime Video) – Jessie (Chelsey Crisp) is a fun-loving woman married to Chaz (Philip Boyd), a real lout who she catches in the act of cheating on her. She’s ready for a divorce, but they don’t tell his mother Naomi about their marital woes because she (Marilu Henner) has just lost her beloved husband. Although they have signed the divorce papers, Jessie volunteers to stay with her mother-in-law to help her clean out the house so she can move in with what she thinks will be her son and Jessie. There’s a meet-cute with Ben (Joe Williamson), the handsome local pastor, who happens to be Naomi’s son-in-law. He is grieving the death of his wife, Naomi’s daughter. Confused yet? You know immediately that sparks will fly between Jesse and Ben, but you don’t know what a scumbag Chaz can be. This was a lightweight romantic comedy that was appealing if only as a change from the more substantive movies I usually watch. 3 cans.
13.  One PM Central Standard Time* (2013, PBS Documentaries) – Anyone who was alive on November 22, 1963, will remember the meaning of those words and who spoke them. It was CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, reporting from the TV newsroom in New York, who informed the world that reports, “apparently official,” had confirmed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. In my house, as in many others, the TV stayed on for the next four days, as the American people watched in sadness the funeral and the aftermath of the murder of the young president, the poignancy of his young wife and children at the funeral procession and burial in Arlington National Cemetery. But this documentary (which includes some newsroom reenactments) also shows the challenge of getting the story and the importance of getting it right. The movie says – and I agree – that this broadcast and the subsequent days marked the emergence of broadcast journalism. No more waiting for newspapers to give us the story; the story was right in our living room. Interviews with many people working on the story that day stress the importance of the reporting and informing the public to the best of their ability what had transpired. Riveting. 4 cans.
14. Janet.* (2021, Lifetime) – This 4-part documentary follows the career of singer/actress Janet Jackson. The youngest member of the famous Jackson family of Gary, Indiana, Janet followed her immensely popular brothers on the stage at the urging/insistence of their domineering father, Joe, first singing and appearing in variety shows with her brothers and then starring in several TV roles. Janet loved it and took to it, and although she eventually cut ties with her father as her manager when she was an adult, she is a strong supporter of her father. The same is true of her brother Michael, who she adored and continued to support during the scandals that rocked his legacy. Janet should be judged on her own considerable merits as a performer, an innovator and a musician. Oh, yes, there was that unfortunate “wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl halftime show, but Janet received unfair criticism for something for which she had no control. I gained new resect for the woman who urged other women to be in control. 3½ cans.
15. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold* (2017, Netflix) – Prolific author Joan Didion is profiled in this loving documentary by her nephew, actor-director Griffin Dunne. Married to Griffin’s uncle, John Gregory Dunne, Didion and her writer husband chronicled American society though novels, essays and plays. Didion is the star of this show, through interviews and a treasure-trove of archived footage that trace the couple’s life together, their various homes, famous friends and their loving daughter. After having seen this poignant tribute, I realize that I need to read her work. 4 cans.

New Thoughts for the New Year

Please, 2022, be kind to us.

I think I’m going to change my name to Tina Google. So many people ask me questions that they could easily answer themselves if they simply used Google or other resources (Is recycling tomorrow? Who was the actor in such-and-such movie?). Google is where I end up going to get the answers to the questions other people ask me.

All day I have had the song “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story running through my head. But I don’t.

Sign in the window of the local convenience store: “Fine Cigars/Bait.” Are the cigars used for bait? Are cigars what people look for when they want to lure fish? Luckily, I need neither, so I’ll never know.

Why do we need to stretch in the morning before we get out of bed? Sometimes when I stretch, I get a nasty charley horse, and that really gets me out of bed in a hurry. But I just wonder why we have that need to stretch, as if we have slept all swaddled like babies. Anyone? Anyone?

And why do we yawn when someone else yawns in front of us?

I don’t get the point of wearing a vest as outerwear. There will never be a time that my chest is cold and my arms are not. Give me a coat, a sweatshirt – anything to keep me toasty warm all over!

Last week I drove behind a truck from a place called Biosphere Remediation, which listed among its services “crime scene remediation” and “murders, suicides and unattended deaths” (which I would have thought fell into the first category). For a moment – just a moment – I thought about following that truck, hoping to land on the set of an upcoming episode of “Dateline,” but then I considered how messy that might be, so when he went right, I went straight.

It’s nice to know that every call I make is important to whatever office I’m trying to reach, but even if I listen carefully because the menu has changed, am I really supposed to know which of the 9 options to choose to speak with someone? I know for sure that I am not calling from a physician’s office, but the others? Too many choices! I long for the days when Consuela took the calls and was the nurse assisting Marcus Welby, MD. In fact, I long for a doctor like Marcus Welby, MD, who knew everything and was assisted by that cute but greasy-haired Dr. Steven Kiley (James Brolin). 

Last year I had a problem with two of the Moen faucets that came with my house. I contacted the company and they sent me new parts (which didn’t work out, but that’s another story) for free. I recently received an email inviting me to join the Moen Plus Club, where I can get complimentary benefits, priority customer support, special offers on Moen products and much more. How many times do they think I will be fixing or replacing my faucets? Do I need to belong to a “club” to be able to wash my hands? I’ll pass.

Oh, great! As if it isn’t bad enough that ShopRite practically begs me to check myself out, now my Retina practice wants me to schedule all my own appointments. What’s next? I will have to do my own eye exam and then give myself my own injection? This self-service stuff has got to stop. Thank God I live in NJ, where pumping your own gas is still verboten!

I admit that I’m not interested in taking care of anyone but myself, so there are no other people in this house, no pets and only one living house plant, my dear old philodendron. Phil has been with me for years, asks for nothing, and has managed to survive despite my sometimes-criminal neglect. Earlier this year, I noticed that most of his leaves were dying and there didn’t seem to be any new growth. I wondered if this would be the end of Phil. Somehow, with a little more (or maybe a little less?) water and lots of hope, Phil is growing new, green leaves again. I don’t know how he got sick or how he got well. I just know I would have missed him if he died. Here’s to Phil!

When I was growing up, the only spices we had in the house were salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, and they were kept on the top of the stove – for YEARS! There were no printed expiration dates at that time, so you only bought a new container once the old one was empty, which was once every decade or so.

My Brother P-Touch handheld label printer has been warning me that it has a low battery for the past year. How insecure can one device be? I’ll worry about replacing the battery when it stops working! I might just replace the device anyway because peeling the backing off of the label is nearly impossible! There must be a better way.

I’m being plagued by tumbleweeds! They aren’t really tumbleweeds (it’s not like I live on the streets of Laredo), but the tops of the corn stalks from the cornfield located about 100 yards behind (not even directly behind) my house. The land is used to grow corn for animal feed, and I guess that previously the farmers cut down the stalks but did not this year, because they are blowing all around the neighborhood. They aren’t easy to catch since they are light and blow in the wind, and they are littering my driveway and getting caught in my bushes, where I am afraid animals will grab them up and use them for nests. You’d think I lived out on a prairie or something with this issue.

Who is this Boba Fett of whom you speak? Until Boba Fett graced the cover of a recent issue of TV Guide, I had never heard the name. Then I read the cover story and learned that Boba Fett is a character from one of the trillions of Star Wars movies and spinoffs that have been circulating for years – all without my knowledge or interest. I’ll just add this to the list of programs I won’t be watching. I know these things are extremely popular, but none of them are my cup of tea. I’ll pass.

We Jersey folks cannot tolerate anything other than a Jersey tomato. Forget those pink-orangey things. Take those slices off the BLT and wait for summer, when the bright red, plump and juicy tomatoes are back. Nothing else will do!

My county library recently announced that there will no longer be late fees charged for the tardy return of borrowed books. I wonder whether charging a few cents was ever a viable source of revenue, and I’ll bet that those fees discouraged people from borrowing books. I guess this means the waiting lists will be longer since people will take more time before returning their books without the threat of a late fee, but I also hope it means that more people will take advantage of the wonderful resources available to all of us through the library.

Betty White. Thank you for being a friend.

Here in the Memorial section, I salute the consummate great actor, Sidney Poitier, who passed away in January. To me, you can draw a straight line from Sidney Poitier to Denzel Washington to Chadwick Boseman for tremendously gifted Black actors with memorable performances who were also people just as outstanding offscreen. Did you know that Denzel Washington anonymously paid for part of Chadwick Boseman’s education? Now we have Denzel left and we’re putting our faith in Michael B. Jordan as his successor. What a legacy of talent.

And I also say a fond farewell to Ronnie Spector, one of the great female voices of rock and roll, the leader of the Ronettes. Her song “Be My Baby” stops me in my tracks whenever I hear it. It is my all-time favorite song. I wish we had more from this wonderful artist. How she survived marriage to Phil Spector is a story on par with Tina Turner’s life with Ike.

With Omicron closing things down again, I’m starting to increase my stash of toilet paper this year. I panic if there are fewer than 36 rolls in the house!

I can’t believe that I am still signing emails and messages with “Stay safe and healthy.” Please wear your mask, don’t take unnecessary chances of exposure, get tested, and if you haven’t already been vaccinated, please do it for yourself and for the rest of us. Enough already with this virus, as my mother would surely have said!

December 2021 Movies and Favorites of the Year

December was a busy movies & more month for me. First we will look at what I watched in December, followed by my list of favorites for the year. That list consists of the ones I enjoyed the most, which means many talked-about movies may not be listed. My list, my choices! Everything is rated on the basis of cans of tuna, from a low of 0 to a high of 5. Asterisks indicate things I had not seen previously. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

DECEMBER
158.  Annie* (2021, NBC) – NBC ventured again into the challenging waters of a live broadcast of a classic musical and came away a winner. A star was born in Celina Smith, the young Black actress who was perfection in the title role. Nicole Scherzinger, Megan Hilty and Titus Burgess were outstanding. I thought that Taraji P. Henson as the evil Miss Hannigan was a little over the top but the worst performance came from Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks. I thought he seemed ill at ease, and the fake bald pate was a major distraction. Overall, the telecast was terrific, worth seeing and then seeing again. 4 cans.
159.  Dream/Killer* (2015, Netflix) – If you like those true-life mysteries on “Dateline,” you will appreciate this story about young Ryan Ferguson who spent 9 years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit. His erstwhile friend, Charles Erikson, told the police initially that neither of the teenagers was responsible for the murder of a sportswriter, but Charles changed his story and gave details of the murder that he said he didn’t remember initially because he was using drugs and alcohol. Though none of the evidence pointed to Ryan, the testimony was damning and both men were convicted. Ferguson’s father was determined to review all of evidence, much of which was overlooked by a zealous prosecutor. Gripping story and a warning that it could happen to you! 3½ cans.
160.  Passing* (2021, Netflix) – This thoughtful drama is based on a novel from the 1920s about two women from the same background who live in very different worlds. Clare and Rene (Tessa Thomspon), both Black, grew up together in Chicago, but Clare (Ruth Negga) now passes as a White woman, married to a racist White man. Rene leads a privileged life with her Black husband and two young sons in Harlem. When we meet Rene on a day of shopping, she is trying to pass as White, using a large hat to shield her face and going into a decidedly White hotel for a cup of tea. There she encounters Clare, who immediately recognizes her, so they reminisce. But when Clare introduces Rene to her husband, it is immediately clear that Clare has sacrificed part of her identity to live her life as the wife of a racist man. Clare is drawn to Rene and begins to show up at her house, making friends with Rene’s children and getting a little cozy with Rene’s husband. Rene is content to sit back and observe Clare, who is the life of any party, as she straddles the line between being a proper White woman and enjoying her friend’s freedom to be herself, although Irene keeps the reigns tight on her own behavior. The movie was beautifully shot in black & white, as if to emphasize the two races portrayed. This is a slow, deliberate film that really made me think about the things we take for granted about our own lives, as well as limitations placed on us by society as well as by our own fears. 4 cans.
161.  Brian’s Song (1971, cable TV) – It is simply not possible for me to watch this movie without tears in my eyes. Brian Piccolo (James Caan, before “The Godfather”) was a Chicago Bears running back who just happened to be paired with another RB, Gayle Sayers (Billie Dee Williams). Sayers was magical on the gridiron, and he and Piccolo were the first Black and White pair of teammates to room together. When Sayers blew out his knee, Piccolo was there to urge him on in his recovery, and when Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer, Sayers stayed by his side. Make no mistake, this is a love story between two friends who pushed each other and stayed true friends until the end. When Sayers wins an award and dedicates it to the dying Piccolo, I can barely swallow over the lump in my throat. As a sports fan, I have a bunch of favorite sports movies, but this one will always be special. 5 cans and a box of tissues.
162.  Being the Ricardos* (2021, in the Movies!) – I have met the prerequisite for this advanced course by having seen every single episode of the classic “I Love Lucy” series more times than I can count. But, Aaron Sorkin, the writer and director, has some “splainin’” to do. Did he intend this account of one week in the life of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to appeal to anyone under the age of 50? Are people under 50 even aware of Lucille Ball as the Queen of TV in the 1950s? Why would a guy who wrote such brilliant episodes of “West Wing” and other monumental TV dramas take on this project? Sorkin focuses on one week when Lucy finds out she has been outed for being a Communist at the time of the Red Scare in this country. The same week, Lucy also reveals to her bosses at CBS that she is pregnant with her second child – but her first as the star of a sitcom, which doesn’t sit well with CBS or her sponsors, Philip Morris. At the time, even the word “pregnant” was forbidden to be uttered on TV. But the overarching themes here are whether Lucy or Desi is really the boss of the show, and whether Lucy’s popularity and clout emasculated Desi, who was rumored to be a womanizer. I give huge props to Nicole Kidman for getting every nuance of Lucy down pat, from her body language to her facial expressions, and Javier Bardem as Desi and J. K. Simmons as William Frawley (Fred Mertz) also earn high marks for their portrayals. Lucy was truly a comedy genius who sensed and saw things in a script that worked and didn’t work. She also was a loving but no-nonsense wife and boss who knew what she was doing better than almost everyone else. 4 cans.
163.  Moonstruck (1987, HBO) – No matter how many times I have seen this movie, I still find it irresistible. The perfect cast (Cher, in the role that won her an Oscar), Olympia Dukakis, Nicholas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, John Mahoney, Danny Aiello) in this slice of Italian life in Brooklyn are just perfect and so is this winner. 4½ cans.
164.  Hoosiers (1986, Cable TV) – I went to a basketball game, came home and rewatched the same game online, watched another game, and that still wasn’t enough, so I watched this classic basketball movie. That, my friends, is the definition of a basketball aficionado (junkie). Washed up college hoops coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) gets a job coaching high school basketball in a small town in Indiana where they barely have enough players to field a team, no less contend for a championship. But good, sound fundamentals preached by the tough coach, combined with good shots and the addition of one key player, and the hicks from Hickory find themselves gunning for the title. No more from me. It’s dated, it’s corny, and it’s wonderful. 4 cans.
165.  West Side Story* (2021, movie theater) – “Something’s coming, I don’t know what it is but it is gonna be great!” I know what it is – it is this movie. I’m such a huge fan of the original film that I wondered whether I would be disappointed by Steven Spielberg’s remake, but au contraire: I loved it. The casting (except for Rif, the leader of the Jets) was great, and Rachel Zegler’s Maria will be the start of a big career for her, I hope. The reimagining of the big numbers out on the streets of New York (especially “America”) was fantastic. Yes, it is dated, but so what? Maybe it doesn’t attract the younger audience, but take the film for what is worth, with its classic Romeo-Juliet story, the music, singing, dancing, color and excitement; I had chills every time they started a new number. And Rita Moreno, not just in some throwaway cameo but in a part with substance and a number to sing. What a treasure all around. 4½ cans.
166.  The Reader* (2008, HBO) – Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her portrayal of a lonely German woman who has an affair with a 15-year-old boy in post-War Germany. Her Hannah is only interested in the sexual aspect of the relationship because she cannot engage emotionally with anyone and she harbors secrets she is not going to share. When the boy, Michael, encounters her eight years later, he also has a secret that could make a difference in her life but he refuses to share it, too. This is a powerful drama about the atrocities of war and how people had to face the decisions they made or didn’t make. This is not a light and entertaining movie – movies about the Holocaust never are – but worth seeing. 4 cans.
167.  An American President (1995, Cable TV) – Andrew Shepherd is a regular guy. He’s a handsome widower with a 12-year-old daughter who falls in love with an unmarried professional woman, and all would be fine except that she is a lobbyist and he happens to be the President of the United States. Michael Douglas has made plenty of movies, but none that I like him in more than this Rob Reiner charmer. Annette Bening is the woman who creates controversy just by dating him — that, and they happen to be on opposites sides of a piece of environmental legislation. Aaron Sorkin’s smart script reveals the inner workings of the White House, where presidential privacy is virtually non-existent. Michael J. Fox and Martin Sheen as the President’s right hand men lend their own appeal to the mix here. This is just a feel-good movie about two adults falling in love, and I did — with the movie and with the characters. This American President gets my vote. 4 cans.
168.  Premonition* (2007, Netflix) – Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) is in for the shock of her life when the local sheriff knocks on her door to inform her that her husband has died in a car accident. She rallies her young daughter and gets her mother to come to the house to help process the horrible news. But the next morning when she wakes up, Jim is in the kitchen with the kids, fully alive. Was it a bad dream? Did he really die? Because each new day he is either dead again or back to life. Why are there scars all over her daughter’s face? Why does she keep bumping into people who claim they don’t know her when they should? Can Linda stop Jim from dying in that accident? The suspense is killing Linda – and me! There’s much more to this movie, but you need to see it rather than read about it – if you like movies like “The Sixth Sense.” 3½ cans.
169.  The Amateur* (2018, Netflix) – A talented basketball player only in the 8th grade is recruited by a powerhouse high school to play for them. This is the story of amateur sports that are not so amateur, as deals are struck for the kid by his father with his coach (Josh Charles) and a shady operator who provides things for him that his family can’t afford. 2 cans.
170.  The Power of the Dog* (2021, Netflix) – If you are looking for a slow movie with sadistic masochism and sexual tension, here you go. Benedict Cumberbatch plays rancher Phil, a grizzled cowboy who lives in a house with his placid brother George (Jesse Plemons); I couldn’t help but wonder why they sleep in the same bed in such a large house, and this isn’t even the part with sexual tension. But when George marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), a woman with a teenaged son who is clearly not a macho guy, Phil begins taunting the young man and you know this won’t end well – although the ending was not what I expected. This film is getting high marks from critics because of the cinematography and story, but while I admire the former, I was not a fan of the latter. It is slow and brooding, notching up the tension all the way. 4 cans.
171.  Die Hard (1988, Prime Video) – The OG of the Die Hard series introduces Bruce Willis as NY Cop John McLane, going to meet his LA-based wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her office in the high-rise Nakatomi Building just as a team of terrorists takes over the place to steal $600 million in bonds. But they have never faced a NY cop like John McLane. This is one of the few action movies I like (on a limited viewing schedule), as Willis brings his snarky, smug character to life against all odds. The action is non-stop! The real question is whether to consider this film a Christmas movie. It takes place as a company Christmas party is underway, and McLane shows up with a big stuffed bear for his child but is it REALLY a Christmas movie? Please discuss. 4 cans.
172.  It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, Prime Video) – I finally decided to give this classic movie another try after decades of neglect, and I really paid attention to its message of kindness and the worth in each of us. No need to rehash the plot, but this heartwarming movie gives you all the feels – though I have to admit that there were parts that were just annoying. The incomparable James Stewart is George Bailey, a man who never quite gets to live out what he thinks are his dreams, but he learns that his life is much better that he realized. His wife Mary (Donna Reed) is the real heroine, a woman who takes care of their kids and their home and, when George’s business fails, she does the first “Go Fund Me” campaign to save it. When you think that you can’t imagine life without someone who is so important to you, think of this movie and realize the value that each one of us has. 4 cans.
173.  A Christmas Story (HBO Max) – I see this movie every year and relish Jean Shepherd’s tale of Ralphie, the boy who wants a Red Ryder Rifle for Christmas, despite his mother’s admonition that he will “shoot his eye out.” This is small-town America at its Christmas best, with silly, shining moments (the kid who gets his tongue stuck on a metal pole, the hideous leg lamp, the wild dogs eating the turkey, the younger brother who can’t move in his snowsuit) that bring a smile to my face every year. I wouldn’t miss it! 4 cans.
174.  Don’t Look Up* (2021, Netflix) – If you think this satire is really about a comet crashing into and destroying earth, you don’t know the definition of a metaphor. It’s about climate change, people, that looming destruction that should have been addressed years ago but is conveniently shunted aside by the powers that be. So, instead, here we have two non-descript scientists (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who discover a comet that will, in six months, collide with Earth. They think that wiping out the planet is a pretty big deal and they set out to inform, then convince and finally plead with the authorities about the reality that we are all going to die. The president of the United States (Meryl Streep; typecasting) isn’t all that interested beyond the effect the comet might have on the upcoming midterm elections. The frothy news media looks at the whole thing as a joke. The capitalists see the financial opportunities the comet could bring – setting aside the assurance by the scientists that a direct hit will wipe out the planet. The rest of the world heaves a collective sigh over the prospect of destruction. The movie skewers all of those entities in style, but it runs way too long. It reminded me of 1997’s “Wag the Dog,” in terms of the political satire, but too much of it is just silly. Meryl was great, as usual. 3½ cans.
175.  The Art of Racing in the Rain* (2019, Cable TV) – Call it overly sentimental, call it too dramatic, or mushy or whatever. I’ll call this movie wonderful. Milo Ventimiglia plays race car driver Denny, who adopts a lovable dog he names Enzo. The pair are inseparable, until along comes Eve (Amanda Seyfried), the woman Denny falls in love with. We know exactly how Enzo feels about this new person in their lives, because his thoughts are conveyed via the voice of Kevin Costner – and this dog has a lot to say.  He loves going to the racetrack with Denny and he understands how Denny strategizes his races. Denny’s friendship with Enzo withstands all kinds of heartbreak. To say more would take away the discovery of the plot, and I wouldn’t do that. I’m not a dog lover, but I loved Enzo and this movie. Milo definitely reminded me of his role as Jack Pearson in “This Is Us.” I cried so many times that I had to shut the windows so the neighbors couldn’t hear me. If you loved the nostalgia of “My Dog Skip,” this movie is for you. 4½ cans.
176. Love, Actually (2003, Freeform) – This was the first movie I watched in 2021 and now one of the last. It is one that I treasure and love to revisit. 5 cans.
177.  The First Wave* (Hulu, 2021) – Unless you work in a hospital or spent time in the hospital in the initial phase of Covid, you cannot imagine the harrowing conditions faced by the patients and the medical staff that served them. This documentary covers the period from March to June 2020 at Long Island Jewish Hospital, where the staff was overwhelmed not just by the influx of patients but also by the challenge of keeping them alive. The film traces the lives of several doctors, nurses and patients to give a realistic view of how tough it was. If this doesn’t make you get vaccinated, nothing will. 4 cans.
178.  The Lost Daughter* (2021, Netflix) – There hasn’t been a woman this ambivalent about motherhood since Faye Dunaway rattled the wire hangers as Joan Crawford in “Mommy Dearest.” The outstanding Olivia Coleman plays college professor Leda, a middle-aged woman spending her summer vacation alone in Greece, when she encounters a young woman with a fussy small child who goes missing on a beach. Leda finds her and becomes connected to her loud American family. The movie then shows a parallel track between the earlier life of Leda as a loving but unhappy young mother and the young woman (Dakota Johnson) who would rather chase the young man working at the resort than figure out how to be a good mother. Both women were frustrated by the enormity of the responsibility of being a parent and dealt with it by seeking happiness elsewhere. This movie will justifiably turn up on many award season lists, but it made me feel uncomfortable, so I can’t list it as a favorite. Maggie Gyllenhaal wrote and directed the movie. 4 cans.

2021 FAVORITES

TV Series

Schitt’s Creek (Netflix) – I caught up on all six full seasons of the loony, funny and bizarre Rose family, formerly rich, now getting by, and making us laugh all the way.
Ted Lasso – Seasons 1 & 2 – (Apple TV+) – Jason Sudekis is perfect as the affable soccer coach of an English team, heading a cast of mostly lovable and a few oddball characters.
Hacks (HBO Max) – Jean Smart as an aging Vegas comic in probably her best work ever. 

Dramas, Documentaries & Reality Series
Pretend It’s a City (Netflix) – A 7-part and multi-laugh look at acerbic society observer and loyal New Yorker Fran Leibowitz, brought to you by Martin Scorsese.
Aerial America – Smithsonian Channel – Stunning aerial footage and the history of individual states and regions in this country, which has never looked better.
Selling Sunset, Season 4 (Netflix) – Blonde bombshell realtors and stunning houses combine with lots of drama and shots of long legs and high heels exiting expensive cars. Hard to stop watching once you start.
Love, Gilda (Hulu) – The story of beloved comedian Gilda Radner of Saturday Night Live, who left us far too soon.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (HBO) – Elizabeth Holmes’ great idea for testing minute quantities of blood didn’t work out quite the way she planned. PS – She is now waiting a verdict on her trial for fraud.
Burgers, Fries and Family Ties (Prime Video) – If I’m ever in Polson, Montana, I’m stopping for the aforementioned meal at Richwine’s Burgerville, a family restaurant providing comfort food and community to the people of a small town.
Hitsville: The Making of Motown (Prime Video) – If you don’t love Motown, you don’t love music. Berry Gordy had the magic touch.
Belushi (Showtime) – The frenetic life and death of comic actor John Belushi, whose work will live on while we wonder what might have been.
Tina (HBO) – Does she even need a last name? This documentary tells her story from singing in the church to surviving abuse to resurrecting her career. My hero!
College Behind Bars (Netflix) – The prisoners in this series are spending time studying for degrees in Bard College while incarcerated. You can’t help but root for them.
Human: The World Within (Netflix) – If science were taught this way in schools, we all would have paid more attention. Fascinating.
The Summer of Soul (Hulu) – Somebody had the foresight to record this documentary about a Harlem music festival in 1969, and it only took 50 years and Questlove to share it with the rest of us. Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, the Staple Singers, Chambers Brothers, Sly & the Family Stone are among the outstanding performers.
Once Upon a Time in Queens (ESPN) – A must-see for Mets fans and all baseball aficionados about the 1986 World Champs in all their good and bad moments.
LuLaRich (Prime Video) – There’s a whole story behind the making of an empire founded on the sale of leggings. Another rise & fall tale, and one worth watching, even at four parts.
Mare of Easttown (HBO) – Kate Winslett is a bedraggled detective in this miniseries with lots of suspects in the death of a local girl. I fell for every red herring. Jean Smart as her mother is outstanding.
Click Bait (Netflix) – Don’t start watching this mini-series unless you have time to see all eight parts. And don’t believe everything you see.
Guilt (PBS) – This 4-part English drama about two brothers who get themselves in deeper and deeper is full of mystery and black humor. 

Movies
Let Him Go (Prime Video) – Kevin Costner & Diane Lane suffer a bad loss and want their grandson back.
Nomadland (Hulu) – Francis McDormand won the Oscar for this unrelenting look at the bleak lives (at least by our standards, if not theirs) of nomads, their lives and their connections with other people. Slow-moving, but with purpose.
I Care a Lot (Netflix) – Rosamund Pike is the amoral protagonist in this sly and cunning film on how to dupe, deceive and steal from the elderly. Don’t believe that she cares about anyone but herself.
Genius: Aretha (National Geographic Channel – though why here, I’ll never know) – Cynthia Erivo is brilliant in this biopic on the glorious Ms. Franklin.
RESPECT (Theater, but now streaming somewhere) – Aretha is important enough to have two programs telling her story. Jennifer Hudson was handpicked by the Queen of Soul herself to play her part, and she does her mentor proud.
CODA (Apple TV+) – What’s it like to have parents who are deaf AND hippies when you are a teenager and the only one in the family who can hear and translate?
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Movies, but now available for rent on Prime Video) – If you didn’t know that Jessica Chastain played Tammy Faye Baker here, you’d swear it was Tammy Faye herself. When the religious get too righteous, dig a little deeper.
Dear Evan Hansen (Prime Video – rental) – I loved the Broadway musical of this story of a teenaged boy mistaken for a friend and celebrated by social media. Though Ben Platt looks too old now to be in high school, the story is still relevant and heartbreaking.
House of Gucci (Movies) – Singer Lady Gaga slays as the woman who ordered a hit on her husband, the head of the esteemed fashion House of Gucci. Campy but delicious.
West Side Story (Movies, available on streaming) – Exuberant, colorful, explosive and every bit as good (and in some ways better) than the original. Steven Spielberg can do no wrong. My favorite movie of the year!